By The Throat is a tense psychological horror film that plays on the viewers anxieties and keeps them in a perpetual state of fear.
Directed by David Luke Rees, the film follows the Lizzy(Patricia Allison), a young woman that takes a job to look after Amy(Jeany Spark), a woman that has recently lost her daughter. Both women are suffering different forms of trauma and as Lizzy continues to stay at Amy’s home, she realises that everything isn’t as it seems.
It’s a story you’ve seen a million times but what Rees does with the admittedly tropey story is refreshing to see. Instead of focusing on jump scares, and fast paced horror, the scares are built up very slowly.
This makes the film into a kind of slow burn, but the payoff at the end is well worth it. Afterall before Russel premiered the film he spoke to the audience, stating that By The Throat was “made by genre lovers, for genre lovers.”
Russel couldn’t be more right, By The Throat is the perfect film for horror fans that are sick of the current state of the genre and wish to get back to the old slow paced scares that made the genre so effective in its early days.
By The Throat’s scares are built up most effectively through the performances of the two leading actresses Patricia Allison and Jeany Spark. Spark especially does a great job as the mysterious Amy, and Allison’s interactions with her as Lizzy build up a suspenseful atmosphere that is unparalleled.
The trauma both Lizzy and Amy are suffering from builds an understanding between both of them, but because of Amy’s ulterior motives, the film goes in a direction you knows coming, but you don’t want to see.
Due to the suspenseful build-up of the first two acts, the third act can seem like a bit of a letdown because it changes genre quiet clearly. But without spoiling anything, the shift is fantastic when you factor in the themes of the film.
The film deals with themes of abuse and trauma, and the trauma aspect is highlighted throughout the entire film, the way it is paid off in the last act is perfect.
With the film only being shot over the course of ten days, the crew were on a tight schedule, but at no point during the film is that clear. Everything is communicated clearly and effectively, leaving the finished product.
The work of writing duo Madelaine Issac and David Luke Rees cannot be understated, they were able to craft a uniquely terrifying tale that could plausibly happen as grief often makes us do crazy things.
No trailer for By The Throat currently exists at this time.
Featured Image Credit: David Luke Rees
Fourth year Film and Journalism student
Deputy editor
Contact - deputyeditor@brignews.com
